Happy Birthday, Donna (On your 26th Birthday, Feb 20, 1981) It was Feb.

20th, on a Sunday morn, A great day for a babe to be born, So off to the Baptist Hospital I did go. Little onnie and !anny were left behind, "hey loo#ed so forlorn, I felt li#e $ryin% But my true feelings to them I dared not show. I $lasped them in my arms, And smiled, no sign of alarm &hen I left them with 'randma and went on my way. &e had notified the hospital ahead, So they were ready with my bed &hen I arri(ed with my husband on that e(entful day. Settled in the maternity ward, "rusting fully in the Lord, I wondered how long it would ta#e. "hings were going pretty slow, )ot mu$h they $ould let me #now, So all I $ould do was in patien$e wait. After a whole day of wal#ing the hall, I felt dis$ouraged that I wanted to bawl, And worrying about the boy, I wanted to go home, *'o see about them, !ear+, I told my husband with a tear. *)o+, he said, *,ou%ll ha(e the baby while I%m gone+. It was growing -uite late, And no supper we ate, &e were sitting in the *.apa%s Lounge+. *'o down to get some food, It will surely do you good,+ I ad(ised as my own hungry pains made me frown. He too# my good ad(i$e, /After all, I was being ni$e0 And toward the $afeteria he started -uite fast. I left the *.apa Lounge+. Still wearing the little frown And entered the door my husband $ouldn%t pass.

Happy Birthday, Donna (cont) 1n$e settled ba$# in my bed &ith somewhat of a dread, 2y attention turned to the lady in the bed nearby. She was in su$h awful pain "hat she groaned again and again, If she didn%t deli(er soon, it seemed she would die. 3ust then a nurse $ame in &earing a silly little grin. *!o you want a boy or girl4+ &e 5ust loo#ed at ea$h other. *Another boy, for I ha(e two,+ *1h, no, that%s not good for you, A girl, not a boy, will always sti$# by its mother+. Still wearing the silly grin, She e6amined me and then, ushed from the room, a serious loo# on her fa$e. *&hat $ould be the matter4+ I thought, But then !r. 7... Herrington she brought And things immediately began to fall into pla$e. "he do$tor listened with his ear A heartbeat he wanted to hear, "hen to my surprise he said with a grin, *I thin# I hear two, "hat means twins for you+. He then mar#ed off the heartbeat with his pen. "he do$tor e6amined me then. "his time he didn%t ha(e a grin. *,ou%re about to deli(er+, he said in serious tones. I $ouldn%t belie(e my ears, 2y eyes filled with happy tears As to the deli(ery room they rolled me along. )ot one pain had I had, "his sure didn%t ma#e me sad, For no anestheti$ did I ha(e to ta#e then. &hen on$e upon the table I was to push as mu$h as I was able, But without a pain, how $ould I #now 5ust when4

Happy Birthday, Donna (cont) *I%ll help you when the $ontra$tions are on,+ A nurse offered a suggestion of her own, So with hands on my tummy she told me to push again and again. Seeing a do$tor in another room, She $alled to him but not with gloom, *7ome see a woman ha(e a baby without pain.+ But 5ust then the baby $ame, *Let%s get the other one+, !o$ e6$laimed. But needless to say, there was not another. *&hat is it, a girl or a boy4+ I as#ed, my heart bursting with 5oy. 8ither one would gladden the heart of this mother. It was brought that I might see "he beautiful girl 9 It sure pleased me. How $ould I ha(e thought that I wanted a boy4 Her head was full of sil#y, bla$# hair, 1h yes, she was so sweet and fair "hat I wanted to s-uee:e her li#e a toy. &ell, my poor husband didn%t #now, He thought things were going slow &hen he left me to get something to eat. &hen the nurse showed him the baby, *)ot mine+, he argued with the lady. But she $on(in$ed him. It was so neat. Later when they told my !anny Boy, "he news wasn%t re$ei(ed with 5oy, For he had set his heart upon a baby brother. But later when I brought him home, He $limbed on the $ou$h in the li(ing room, And with one loo#, *I%(e $hanged my mind+, he told his mother. &ell, one thing I forgot to say, Is that we named her *!onna ae+ Her eight lbs, ; and < o: made her $ute and fat. But she refused to sleep at night, And I had to ro$# her, it was a sight. I ha(e to admit at times she was a little brat.

Happy Birthday, Donna (cont) &ell, the years ha(e $ome and gone But the memories linger on. And now, !onna, you are many miles away. &ith your daughter so sweet and fair, I wish I $ould be there "o tell you in person, *Happy Birthday+. "his little poem is a$tual fa$ts, )othing in it that I would ha(e to ta#e ba$# 86$ept a few e6tra words to ma#e it rhyme. Hope it helped to brighten your day, =eep it, don%t throw it away, ,ou $an use it in your autobiography sometime.